Broken Angel
by BettyBarchetta
Summary: Two years after leaving Forks, Edward is not coping as well as Bella. Can she help to mend her broken angel?
1. Chapter 1

Friday September 13th 2007

It was my twentieth birthday and my boyfriend, Peter, had brought me to Bella Italia to celebrate. I didn't mind so much anymore; we came here fairly regularly now, but in the beginning it had been hard not to think of _him_. I met Peter at a Christmas party last year and we started dating in January. He was a lot of fun and really kind; we enjoyed the same music, books and movies. But lately the conversation inevitably came back to the same topic.

"I've booked us into a hotel in Seattle for three nights the weekend after next. Consider it my birthday present to you", he smiled. "It's a really great place and I managed to get us the honeymoon suite!"

We both knew the subtext here. We had never spent the night together and, after eight months Peter was understandably getting a little frustrated with me. He had been so patient and understanding when I explained that I wasn't ready to have sex yet, but I guess his patience was running out...fast.

"That sounds...great. It'll be fun to spend some time in the city. Thank you", I said with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. I was fairly sure that he didn't plan to spend much time sightseeing. But I couldn't keep him waiting forever...I knew that it wasn't fair on him. _So its fourteen days and counting until I lose my virginity! O-kay._

After an otherwise enjoyable evening we left the restaurant and Peter took my hand as we walked down the street to our respective cars. Peter lived about twenty miles away so we generally travelled separately – him in his Honda Civic and me in my faithful old Chevy truck. Peter wanted me to trade it in for something a little more 'respectable' looking but it had never let me down yet so I was sticking with it.

"So, are you going to invite me back to –", Peter stopped speaking mid-sentence and grimaced.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Ugh...some low life is leaning against your truck", he answered in disgust. I looked ahead and my heart stuttered in my chest.

"I'll get rid of him." Peter said without conviction...he wasn't really the confrontational type.

"No, it's OK. I know him", I replied though a part of me was sure that I must be wrong...that I was finally losing my mind.

"You _know_ him? How?"

"He's an old friend...I used to know his family back in Forks. Don't worry", I assured him. "You get going...I'll call you tomorrow."

"I'm not just gonna leave you here with some drug addict scum", Peter replied.

"He's not a drug addict, but he clearly needs some help. I'll be fine, honestly."

"I don't like this", he said but apparently was happy to be let off the hook of protecting me from the 'drug addict scum'. "You call me when you get home. OK?"

"OK Peter. There's nothing to worry about, I promise." _Am I trying to convince him or myself? "_Goodnight." We exchanged a chaste kiss and I watched him walk across the road and get into his car. I waved as he drove away and then turned back to face my truck. Taking a deep breath I walked slowly towards it.

The pathetic figure leaning against the door was dishevelled and dusty. He had a beanie pulled over his hair and his eyes were downcast. But there was no mistaking him. The magnetic pull I had always felt was still there.

"Edward?" I whispered as I stood before him.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. So very sorry", he sobbed without lifting his eyes from the ground. I held out a shaky hand and lifted his face so that I could see him more clearly. I gasped with shock at the sight. His eyes were blacker than I had ever seen them, the pupil and iris indistinguishable from one another; the small amount of white visible around the edges was actually yellow. The bruises beneath his eyes were dark purple and extended far down his cheeks where they faded into the grey, pallid skin that covered the rest of his face. He looked fragile and weak, a shadow of his former god-like self.

"What happened to you, Edward?" I asked in dismay.

"So sorry." He sounded like he was talking to himself and still didn't make eye contact with me.

"When did you last feed, Edward?"

"I don't remember", he replied almost inaudibly. "A few months."

"You need blood, Edward. Get in the truck and I'll take you somewhere. " I opened the door and guided him to the passenger seat. He offered no resistance. "Tell me where I can take you." No response. "Where can you feed, Edward?" I demanded as I started the engine and headed out of town.

"Please don't leave me, Bella", he begged pitifully.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay with you, but you need to feed...now."

"You can't stay with me while I feed", he murmured quietly.

"OK, so I'll stay close by...in the car...and wait for you. Now tell me where to go."

"Take the right turn up ahead."

"OK." I kept throwing glances at Edward. He stared out of the window or at his hands as they lay lifelessly in his lap. Why wouldn't he look at me? God, he looked awful. The minutes passed as we drove through the woods in silence.

"Turn left here and park please." Edward suddenly said. I braked sharply and did as directed. We were in a small clearing, completely surrounded by trees except for the path we had entered by.

"You promise to wait?" Edward asked.

"Of course", I replied.

"Lock the doors and stay inside. I'll be as quick as I can." He climbed sluggishly out of the truck and walked into the trees. I watched him until he was out of sight. I assumed he would be hunting deer as there wasn't likely to be anything much larger than that this close to town. Whatever his prey, his condition left me doubting that he could possibly be fast enough to succeed. I lowered my head onto the steering wheel and breathed deeply. My birthday had started out so.._.normally_. Never in a million years would I have expected it to end like this. I had dreamed of Edward – while awake and asleep. I had imagined what he might be doing, where he might be, but I could not have envisaged him like this. It frightened me; he had always seemed so invincible, a true knight in shining armour. But now he needed _me_ to be the strong one. And I would be that for him...I would always be whatever he needed me to be, until the day I died.

Twenty minutes passed and he had not returned. I wasn't sure how long I should wait or what I should do if he didn't come back. I had no way of getting help...the numbers I had for Alice and Carlisle had long since become unobtainable. Maybe I was having some kind of psychotic episode...maybe I had just imagined his return as I had so many times before, and I was sitting here in the woods waiting for a fantasy. I folded my arms on the wheel and laid my head against them, closing my eyes against the headache that was threatening to explode behind them. After a few moments I was startled by a tapping at the window and snapped my head back to see Edward's eyes gazing through the glass at me. It was the first time he had looked at me in two years and it made my heart thump alarmingly against my ribcage. I opened his door and he climbed in.

"You look better", I smiled. And it was true. Already the pallor was lifting from his skin and his eyes were a little less black. I reached out and ran my thumb gently across the darkness beneath his eye. Touching him again sent electricity coursing through my body. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and never let go.

"What happened, Edward. How did you get like this?" I wanted to understand. I needed to.

"Can I stay with you tonight, Bella?" he pleaded. "Just one night....please?"

I didn't need to consider his request. I wanted him to stay with me forever. So I simply nodded, started the truck and headed back into Port Angeles to my apartment.

As I unlocked the door, I could hear the phone ringing. I ran to pick it up, watching as Edward slowly entered the apartment and closed the door quietly behind him.

"Hello?"

"Bella...thank God you're OK", Peter's frantic voice greeted me. "I told you to ring me."

"I just walked through the door, Peter. Don't worry. I told you I'd be fine", I replied.

"I was scared they were going to be dragging your body out of the river."

I heard Edward snarl. It made me smile...he must be feeling better.

"What did he want anyway?" Peter pressed.

"He needed my help." I really didn't feel like explaining anything to him. And even if I did, what could I have said? _Oh, my ex-boyfriend is actually a vampire and he hasn't fed for a few months so I took him to get some blood_.

"Money for drugs, I suppose", he sneered.

"I told you, he doesn't take drugs Peter. He's just having a hard time at the moment." I looked across at Edward as he stared out of the window into the night.

"So where is he now?" Peter asked.

"He's here, with me."

"You took him back to your apartment?!? Is he staying there tonight?" He sounded furious.

"He's my friend, Peter, and he has nowhere else to go."

"Yeah? Well I'm your _boyfriend_, Bella. Eight months we've been together and you have never once let me stay at your place!"

"Peter, it's late. Can we have this conversation tomorrow?"

"Yeah, sure...you get back to your 'friend' and we will definitely talk tomorrow!" The line went dead. I sighed...I wasn't looking forward to that talk.

Turning my attention back to Edward, I assessed his appearance and decided to take him in hand.

"Why don't you have a shower while I get your clothes cleaned up?" I suggested.

"You don't have to do that", he murmured.

"I think I do, Edward. Have you seen yourself? You look like you've been in a crypt!" I laughed but the joke fell on stony ground.

"I can get some more", he said.

"Yes, but for now let me see if I can revive these ones. There's a towelling robe on the back of the bathroom door...you can wear that. Go have a shower...please? Do it for me, Edward. It might help you feel better." I gestured to the bathroom and he shambled towards it.

I picked up the pile of clothes he left outside the bathroom door. They had clearly been worn for quite some time but still smelled of Edward's delicious scent, albeit a little musty as though they had been stored in an attic or something. I threw everything into the washing machine apart from his jacket which I set about brushing down. Then I hung it on a hanger and placed it in my closet.

When Edward emerged from the bathroom, my breath caught in my throat at the sight of him. His freshly washed bronze hair flopped into his face and I longed to run my fingers through it. I allowed my eyes to roam up and down his muscled form, wrapped as it was in the fluffy white bathrobe, knowing that he was naked beneath it. He smiled timidly at me and I felt the colour rise in my cheeks. I bit my lip nervously.

"Um, make yourself comfortable while I get ready for bed", I said and made a hasty retreat to the bathroom. Closing the door I leaned back against it and waited for my heart rate to slow back down to normal. My beautiful, immortal soulmate was back and I could feel myself falling again. I had to remind myself that he left because he no longer loved me...and I had no reason to believe that anything had changed. The only thing I knew for sure was that he needed my help. Drooling over him like a lovesick teenager wasn't appropriate. I showered quickly and put on an oversized t-shirt. I took a moment to compose myself and opened the bathroom door. Edward was standing at the window again looking at the night sky as though it held the answers to all his problems.

"It's late, Edward. I'm going to bed. Will you lay with me or would you prefer to stay out here?" I didn't really know the protocol when estranged and tormented, vampire ex-boyfriends stayed the night.

He turned to look at me, his topaz orbs filled with unhappiness. "May I stay with you?"

I held out my hand in response and he glided towards me to place his cold hand in mine. I led him to my room and climbed into my double bed, allowing him to decide whether to join me under the covers or above them. He lay down next to me on top of the duvet and gazed at me sadly.

"Do you want to talk?" I asked him. His response took me by surprise.

"Will you sleep with Peter?"

"Er...well, we _have _been together for eight months. He has been incredibly patient. I think I owe it to him to make that commitment so...yes, I suppose I will", I babbled and cursed the blush which I knew gave away my discomfort at discussing this with Edward of all people.

"That isn't a good reason to sleep with someone, Bella", he said disapprovingly. "Especially when it's your first time."

"Maybe not, but why does it matter to you?" I couldn't keep the annoyance out of my voice. What right did he have to turn up here after two years and tell me how to live my life?

"Why does it matter to me?!?" he seemed astonished that I should ask such a thing. "Of course it matters to me that you don't do something you'll regret. You should _want_ this, Bella...not just do it out of some misplaced obligation. It should be with someone you love unreservedly...someone who loves you more than life itself." It was the longest speech he had made since his unexpected reappearance.

"Real life isn't like that, Edward", I sighed.

"It can be", he murmured. "Do you love him?"

"Really Edward, I'm not sure that's any of your business. In fact, none of this is. So unless you want to talk about what has happened to bring you here in this appalling state, I think I'd like to go to sleep now." Maybe I was being a bit harsh but this was so _not_ the conversation I wanted to be having with him.

"I'm sorry." He lowered his eyes from my face and stared at the pillow. "Goodnight."

"I'm sorry too", I whispered. "I'll help you in any way I can. But my life has changed a lot in the last two years. It's been tough but I think I've come through it quite well. I just can't discuss this stuff with you...it's too painful."

"I know what you mean", he said ruefully. "Sleep now, my Bella. Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight Edward. Wake me if you need to, OK?" He pulled the duvet up around my shoulders and smiled the old familiar crooked smile, and I knew I was in trouble. I hadn't missed the fact that he had called me_ his_ Bella. The firm ground that I had found for myself was crumbling beneath my feet; I knew that if I fell for Edward all over again, there would be no coming back. And deep down I knew that I was willing to take that risk...I had nothing left to lose. These thoughts swirled around my head as I drifted into a restless slumber.

We were in our meadow and Edward was happy and healthy and oh so beautiful. He gazed at me with pure devotion and leaned in to kiss me tenderly on the lips. I slid my hands around the back of his neck, entwining my fingers in his soft hair and moaned as his tongue pushed into my mouth. I felt his cool hands on my back as he drew me closer and the hard bulge of his arousal against my thigh. Our kisses became more urgent and we began to undress each other. Edward's naked body sparkled in the sunlight as he rolled onto his back and lifted me to straddle him. I adjusted my position until I could feel him pressing against my warmth then slowly lowered myself onto him. As I enveloped his cool, hard length he gently stroked my breasts. The feeling of ecstasy that filled every cell of my body was mirrored by the look in his golden eyes. I threw my head back and closed my eyelids, feeling the heat of the sun as I luxuriated in the love of my angel. "I adore you, my Bella", his velvet voice said. Bringing my face forwards again I opened my eyes to gaze upon him. But it was no longer Edward...it was Peter! I screamed..."NO!! Edward!"

I awoke with a start and opened my eyes. Where was I? What just happened? My heart was pounding. As my eyes became accustomed to the early morning light and I recognised my bedroom, I began to calm down. It had been a dream...a really vivid and terrifying dream. And then I remembered what had happened last night...Edward was back! Oh God, had I shouted in my sleep? I rolled over and the bed was empty. I sat up and looked around the room. No Edward. Panic tightened my chest. Please don't let him have gone again...I couldn't bear it. I threw the covers back and ran from the room in blind terror. He was nowhere to be seen. My eyes filled with tears as I stumbled frantically from room to room. And then just as I had given up hope I saw him...curled in a foetal position on the rug in front of the unlit fireplace. He looked so lost and broken. I fell to my knees beside him.

"Edward, you are scaring me", I cried. "Talk to me, please!"

"I'm sorry", he mumbled.

"Stop saying that!" I yelled. I lay down on the rug facing him, not knowing what to do or how to comfort him.

Suddenly Edward wrapped his arms tightly around me and pressed his head to my chest. His body started to shake with tearless sobs. I held him close and stroked his hair.

"Oh Edward, what _happened_?" I begged as my own tears started to overflow. "Please talk to me."

Minutes passed as I waited for him to grow calm..and prayed for him to speak.

"Nothing happened", he replied finally. "There has been nothing since I left you."

"Where are your family?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. I haven't spoken to them for over a year."

"Why not?" I was stunned that he had been away from the love and protection of his parents and siblings for so long.

"I was making them miserable, so I left and told them not to look for me." I couldn't believe it had been that simple. Carlisle, Esme, Alice...all of them would have wanted to help him. They wouldn't have just deserted him.

"Where did you go?"

"Nowhere of consequence."

"Can't you call them _now_?"

"Nothing has changed."

"Then why are you here, Edward?"

"I couldn't stay away from you any longer, Bella." There was real pain in his voice as he admitted this failing. "I am so sorry...I broke my promise...but I had to see you."

"Why? Why did you need to see me Edward?"

"Because I'm weak, Bella." He pulled away from our embrace and rolled onto his back staring at the ceiling.

"That doesn't answer my question. Why would you need to see me? I thought I meant nothing to you...that I wasn't good enough for you."

"I'm sorry."

"I told you to stop saying that. What are you sorry for? For breaking your promise to stay away? That doesn't matter to me...I never wanted you to keep that promise anyway."

"I lied to you, Bella. The blackest, most blasphemous lies."

"Is that why you torment yourself? Because of something you said to me _two years ago_?"

"Two years, two decades, two centuries...it doesn't matter how much time passes" he replied ominously. "Those lies were my death sentence. Nothing matters any more...except your wellbeing. And yet here I am, threatening to undermine that again. I am contemptible." He sprang to his feet and walked back to the window. I sat up and watched him quietly for a moment.

"What did you lie to me about, Edward?" I asked presently.

He hung his head and groaned. "Everything I said to you that last day in the woods was a lie, Bella."

I sat very still as I absorbed this statement and considered its implications. He had told me he didn't want me, that I wasn't good for him, that he was tired of pretending to be human. And now I was expected to believe that none of that was true. It was difficult to get my head around.

"Why?" I whispered.

"Because I thought you would be better off without me. I was putting you in danger by keeping you in my life. I wanted you to live a normal human life."

"You left to protect me?!?" I was incredulous.

"I'm so sorry, Bella."

_He left to _protect_ me. He didn't stop loving me?? He didn't stop loving me!_ The penny finally dropped...Edward had suffered because he had _missed_ me. His wretched condition was actually because of _me_!!

"Do you...still love me, Edward?" I asked hesitantly.

"I should go, Bella. I should never have come here." He kept his back turned to me, steadfastly staring out of the window. I stood up and walked over to him. Taking his face firmly in my hands I forced him to look at me.

"Do you love me? Just answer that question", I begged. "Because I love you and I can never love anyone else now. I want to be with you in every way...I want you to make love to me...I want to wrap my arms around you and never let you go...I want to be like you and spend eternity with you. If you _love_ me."

I watched as a myriad of emotions passed through his eyes. Disbelief turned to bewilderment as he searched my face for any evidence that I was being untruthful. Bewilderment turned to hope and then he closed his eyes and shook his head as if to shake out such a foolish notion.

"This is madness, Bella."

"Just answer my question – yes or no? It's not difficult", I asserted.

He took a deep breath, exhaling sweet cool air against my skin. "Of course I love you, sweet Bella. I have always loved you and I _will_ always love you. But nothing has changed. My world is still too dangerous for you." The golden depths of his eyes were full of regret.

My heart was hammering in my chest. I wound my arms around his neck and kissed him softly on the mouth. His smooth marble lips welcomed me home, tentatively at first and then with more confidence. Drawing back, I looked at the face of the man I had dreamed about ever since I had first seen him. He was regarding me with cautious eyes, clearly still uncertain about the wisdom of the course of action unfolding before him. I smiled and Edward smiled almost shyly back at me. Slowly I moved to take his hand in mine and began to lead him back to my bedroom, keeping eye contact over my shoulder as we went. He followed me willingly but his expression was guarded. As we reached the bed I turned to face him and carefully untied the belt on his robe.

"Bella –", he started to protest.

"Sshh, Edward!" I placed a finger to his lips, and then gently pushed the robe off his shoulders so that it fell silently to the floor.

**A/N: I intended this to be a single chapter story. If you want me to write more....you know what to do :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N...I know, I know...don't faint! It has taken me a ridiculously long time to update anything. I won't go into a long and boring explanation...I will just let you enjoy (hopefully) the next instalment. There is a small twist however...I was undecided about which direction to take this chapter so I have given you 2 alternatives to choose from...just review and let me know which you prefer...Good Bella or Naughty Bella! **

**Chapter 2 – Good Bella**

Previously...

_Slowly I moved to take his hand in mine and began to lead him back to my bedroom, keeping eye contact over my shoulder as we went. He followed me willingly but his expression was guarded. As we reached the bed I turned to face him and carefully untied the belt on his robe. _

"_Bella –", he started to protest._

"_Sshh, Edward!" I placed a finger to his lips, and then gently pushed the robe off his shoulders so that it fell to the floor. _

I slipped my t-shirt off and Edward took a sharp intake of breath. Then I climbed into bed and held the covers back, inviting him to join me. He stood for a few moments, clearly torn about what to do.

"I just want to hold you, Edward...it's going to be alright", I said reassuringly. OK, that wasn't strictly true...I wanted much more than that, but the most important thing at the moment was to get him to trust me and show him how much I still loved him.

"You'll get cold", he said quietly.

"I think I'll cope", I chuckled. "Come on...get in."

After a brief hesitation, he lay down beside me and I threw the duvet over him before snuggling into his chest and winding my arms around his torso. The coolness of his body was actually very pleasant...like dangling a foot out of bed on a warm night. But it was the indescribable sensation of his bare skin against mine that occupied my every sense. I felt sure that my heart rate was betraying my exhilaration to Edward, and hoped that it wouldn't alarm him.

"Is this OK?" I asked.

With his head resting on one folded arm, he cautiously placed the other one around me planting the palm of his hand gently against the small of my back. "Yes, this is..._OK_", he replied softly. I thought I detected a hint of humour in his voice. I nestled in closer to him and inhaled his scent. His body relaxed ever so slightly against mine and I breathed a sigh of relief that I hadn't frightened him.

"I missed you, Edward", I murmured. "So very much."

"I missed you too", he admitted and began to rub his thumb in small circles against my back, though his hand didn't move from its original position. I wanted to feel his touch all over me but I didn't want to push him too far just yet. Lying with a naked Edward was already further than I had ever dreamed possible. I would have said that I could die happily now except that I no longer had any intention of dying at all. By fair means or foul I would become immortal so that I never had to be away from him ever again.

"Try to get some sleep now, my love", Edward said softly.

"I don't think I can," I replied. "I am scared that if I do you will be gone when I open my eyes."

"I promise I won't go anywhere," he whispered.

"Will you kiss me goodnight?" I asked tilting my face up to his. He gazed forlornly at me.

"Ah, this is so wrong", he murmured before placing the tenderest of kisses on my forehead. "Goodnight Sweet Bella."

"Goodnight Edward", I sighed and rested my head against his chest.

...

The doorbell rang. It was 7.33am. Who on earth could be calling at this time on a Saturday morning? I glanced to Edward for a clue.

"It's your boyfriend", he sighed. He was dressed and lying on top of the covers again.

"Peter? Oh god! What is he doing here this early?" I jumped out of bed and grabbed the bathrobe. As I dashed out of the bedroom, I paused and popped my head back around the door to look at Edward.

"Don't worry", he smiled reassuringly. I smiled back and ran to the front door as the bell began to ring more urgently. Taking a deep breath and checking that my robe was fastened securely, I opened the door.

"Peter! What brings you here so early?" I asked.

"I thought I had better check you are OK...what with you having a strange man in your apartment all night", he replied sarcastically, his eyes darting about the apartment over my shoulder. "Can I come in?"

"Of course", I smiled sweetly, stepping aside.

"There's a parcel here for you", Peter said as he bent down to pick up the brown paper package from my doorstep. I took it from him and read the label. It simply read 'Bella Swan'. The handwriting was unfamiliar to me.

"So where _is_ your 'friend'?" Peter asked sharply. "Or did he steal your purse and disappear during the night?"

Edward chose that moment to emerge from the bathroom. He glided smoothly into the sitting room, running his hand through his bronze hair as he made eye contact with me. He looked much more like his old self now that he had fed and cleaned up, though I could see that he would have to hunt again soon to completely replenish his body. Nevertheless, to Peter's eyes I could imagine that he looked like a model from the cover of some men's fitness magazine. His mouth gaped unattractively for a moment as he tried to reconcile the man before him with the "_drug addict scum_" he had left me with last night.

"You must be Peter", Edward said in his most hypnotic voice. I had to stifle a giggle as I realised how befuddled Peter was by him.

"Y..yes", Peter stuttered. The as he regained his composure a little..."Bella has told you about me?"

"Of course. I'm pleased to meet you." Edward was at his most charming. It gave me a warm feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Likewise", Peter responded unconvincingly. "I'm sorry...I don't know _your_ name."

"I'm Edward Cullen."

Peter nodded then returned his attention to me. "What are you doing today, Bella?"

"I promised Edward I would take him back to Forks this morning", I lied. "Can I catch up with you later?"

"Oh, leaving so soon, Edward?" Peter said unpleasantly, as his self-assurance began to return. "What a shame. Yes, I'll see you later darling. Call me when you get back." He stepped forward and kissed me passionately. After a few moments, I gently pushed him away. He didn't usually kiss me like that...it was obviously for Edward's benefit, and it was embarrassing. And I wasn't sure what Edward would do if he detected my discomfiture.

"Bye then, Peter", I smiled.

"Bye Sweetheart...Goodbye Edward." I opened the door and he left, but not before planting one more kiss on my lips. I shut the door behind him and leaned my forehead against it for a moment while I took a cleansing breath.

"He seems...nice", Edward said quietly.

I slowly turned to face him. "_Really_?" I asked dubiously.

"Well...he was suspicious, and jealous, and possessive...all of which seem like perfectly acceptable emotions considering the circumstances. He likes you a lot."

My heart sank. I didn't want him to _approve_ of Peter...I wanted him to tell me that he wasn't good enough for me. I wanted Edward to fight for me!

"So you think I _should_ sleep with him then?" I asked provocatively.

"I didn't say that, Bella."

"What _are_ you saying then?"

"I said he was nice...not that he was _right_ for you."

"And who is _right_ for me, Edward?"

"Someone who you love, Bella. You don't love Peter. And I don't think he truly loves you either."

"So it should be someone I love _unreservedly_?" I repeated his words back to him. He nodded. "And someone who loves me _more than life itself_?"

"Yes, Bella."

"That's the way I love _you_, Edward. Is that the way you love _me_?"

"You already know the answer to that question, my love", he smiled.

"I want to hear you say it, Edward", I pressed.

"OK...I love you more than life itself, Bella."

My heart beat a staccato rhythm. Edward was approaching me slowly, his eyes fixed on mine.

"So that would make you _right_ for me?" I clarified.

He stopped six inches away from me and gently tucked a strand of stray hair behind my ear. His sweet breath made it difficult for me to concentrate.

"No, I am not right for you Bella. I am very _wrong_ for you. But I am weak, my love. I need you to send me away before something dreadful happens to you." His words were contradicted by the tender kisses he proceeded to place on my temples and down my cheeks to my jaw line. I was finding it hard to breathe, let alone think. My response was automatic, coming from my soul and bypassing any conscious reasoning.

"The most dreadful thing that could happen to me now would be you leaving. I won't let you do that again, Edward...I will follow you to the ends of the earth or die trying." I turned my face to capture his lips with mine.

**Chapter 2 – Naughty Bella**

Previously...

_Slowly I moved to take his hand in mine and began to lead him back to my bedroom, keeping eye contact over my shoulder as we went. He followed me willingly but his expression was guarded. As we reached the bed I turned to face him and carefully untied the belt on his robe. _

"_Bella –", he started to protest._

"_Sshh, Edward!" I placed a finger to his lips, and then gently pushed the robe off his shoulders so that it fell to the floor. _

I rested my hands against his chest for a moment as I looked into his eyes, communicating my desire to him. Then slowly, ever so slowly, I began to move them down his body, stopping briefly at his nipples before running them over the undulating muscles of his stomach. Edward didn't make a sound as I examined his body. His eyes remained fixed on mine, until finally I could resist the temptation no longer and lowered my gaze to look at the perfect form before me. My God...he was magnificent! My breathing became ragged as I drank in his beauty with my eyes. My hands slid over his hips and around to squeeze his tight behind. I stepped back until I could feel the mattress against the back of my legs, and then climbed backwards onto the bed so that I was kneeling in front of him. Making eye contact once again, I pulled off my t-shirt revealing my bare breasts and observed his reaction. His eyes darkened and widened simultaneously as a quiet growl rumbled in his throat. I pulled him towards the bed and he resisted, his eyes taking on a plaintive look.

"I want you Edward", I breathed. "We belong together."

I pulled him towards me again and slowly he lay down next to where I kneeled. I smiled with satisfaction and straddled his divine body. Leaning forward I kissed him passionately on the lips, running my tongue against their cool smoothness and along the groove where they pressed together. Gradually they parted and his tongue came out to tentatively meet mine. Our lips remained joined in rediscovery for a few moments and then I began to lick, kiss and nibble my way along Edward's jaw, neck and throat, relishing every moan that escaped him in response. I continued my assault down his chest and ribcage, pausing to delight in the curves of his taut abdominal muscles. I toyed with the sexy line of hair which ran from his navel downwards, curling it around the tip of my tongue and pulling on it with my teeth.

"Bella..." Edward moaned. I smiled and lifted my face to see his. His expression was a mixture of desire and alarm. I kissed his lips again as I removed my knickers and resumed my position above him. Just as in my dream, I lowered my wetness against his erection and rubbed against it, stunned by the power of the sensations that movement produced. Clearly, it was having a similar effect on Edward, judging by the look on his face. When I thought I could take no more, I adjusted my position so that I could take him inside me. As I slowly enveloped his length, Edward gripped my hips and cried out in ecstasy. I thought I would faint from the intensity of the vibrations in my loins, which travelled up my spine and consumed my whole being.

"Bella...Bella...Bella...", Edward moaned over and over. "I love you, Bella."

His words sent me over the edge and I screamed as I experienced my first orgasm. Edward came almost immediately, pulling me towards him and thrusting his tongue deep into my mouth as I felt his seed pumping into me.

"I love you Edward", I gasped.

"You are mine, Bella. Forever."

And then he kissed me, tenderly and with true longing, cupping my face in his soft, cool hands. His gaze remained fixed on mine and I could read the devotion in his eyes as clearly as if I were reading words from a page. After a couple of paragraphs, he rolled me onto my back and poised himself above me. The hunger was palpable...both his and mine. He wanted me as surely as I wanted him. He looked at me as though asking for permission. I dug my nails into his butt cheeks (as well as you _can_ dig your nails into granite) and pulled him towards his goal. Needing no further encouragement, he slowly drove his sex inside me. My back arched in sheer rapture and I screamed his name. He continued to thrust in and out, in and out, gripping the headboard until it was reduced to splinters and sawdust. This time we climaxed together, riding the waves of ecstasy as one.

"Oh my god, Edward", I gasped breathlessly. My body felt limp and hypersensitive to every move I made. I wondered idly whether this was the way every woman felt when she had sex for the first time. Then I smiled to myself as I decided that sleeping with a vampire couldn't possibly compare to sleeping with a mere man.

"What are you thinking, Bella?" Edward asked as he ran his cool fingertips across my overheated skin. I blushed and he smiled.

"I was just thinking how lucky I am", I replied.

"I'm the lucky one...because you still love me after everything I have done."

"Let's just agree that we are both lucky. OK?" I suggested. "Now, where were we?"

And we made love again.

The doorbell rang. It was 7.33am. Who on earth could be calling at this time? I glanced to Edward's face for a clue.

"It's your _boyfriend_", he growled.

"Oh, crap. What does _he_ want?" I asked rhetorically, as I jumped out of bed and grabbed the discarded bathrobe from the floor. I wrapped it around me lazily and headed for the door, stopping to look back at Edward as he reclined against my pillows.

"Stay put!" I ordered. He just looked at back at me without replying.

The doorbell rang again more urgently, accompanied by some loud banging. I sighed. I was walking on air and I really didn't need Peter killing my buzz. When I opened the door, he was leaning against the frame aggressively, one hand on either side of the opening.

"You took your time", he complained.

"And good morning to you too, Peter", I sang. He wasn't amused. "I was in _bed_, Peter. It's 7.30 on a Saturday morning!"

"Where is he?" he demanded.

"He's...still sleeping", I giggled involuntarily.

"Are you _drunk_, Bella?" Peter asked in surprise.

"Not in the way _you_ mean, no", I laughed. _I'm just drunk on Edward Cullen._

"Oh my god, you're _stoned_ then", he concluded. "That scumbag gave you drugs!"

"You are way off the mark, Peter", I replied, trying desperately to be more serious. I was going to have to come clean. "Look, I need to tell you –"

"_Where_ is he sleeping?" Peter asked looking over my shoulder at the unoccupied sofa.

"Peter, I haven't been completely honest with you." He was glaring at me furiously.

"About what?"

"When I told you that Edward was an old friend, what I actually meant was an old _boy_friend."

"Is this your way of telling me that he is in your bed, Bella? That you slept with him last night?" He was angry...angrier than I had ever seen him.

"I'm sorry Peter. I didn't expect to ever see him again."

"How could you do this to me Bella? I have waited so patiently all these months for you to be 'ready' and then this guy shows up and you just let him screw you on the spot!" he spat. I cringed back from his venom as he leaned menacingly towards me. "Look at you", he said in disgust as he pulled on the collar of my loosely tied robe, exposing my left breast. "You're nothing but a prick tease!"

Suddenly Edward appeared from nowhere, pinning Peter to the door frame by his throat. Peter looked petrified, understandably, as he stared at the impossibly strong and very naked man who was crushing his windpipe. I tried to pull him off but it was like trying to move a mountain.

"You will never come here or anywhere near Bella ever again", Edward snarled at him. "Do you understand?"

Peter nodded as best he could and Edward released his grip, allowing my now ex-boyfriend to crumple to the floor in a gasping heap. His eyes sought mine in fear and confusion.

"I'm sorry, Peter." It was all I could think to say. "But I think it would be best if you go now."

Peter looked sorrowfully at me for a brief moment. He then pulled himself back to his feet and stumbled away, almost tripping over a parcel which someone had left outside my apartment. I felt bad about the way I had treated him. But I soon forgot this as Edward's silken voice spoke just behind me.

"Are you alright, Bella?"

I kicked the door shut and turned to face my angel. "Never better, Edward", I replied. "I am so glad you came back for me." He scooped me up in his arms and carried me back to the bedroom.

**So what do you think? Good Bella or Naughty Bella? Drop me a review and I will go with the majority vote!**


End file.
